April 6, 2016

Harbormaster Notes

Ahoy Eagle Creekers, I know I sounded bit harsh in last month’s newsletter article. Thing is, I am the kind of guy that will stick up for and help people that actually love sailing at this club. As the “land-side Harbormaster,” I am charged with making sure all members have a place to store their boats and trailers. That makes me the designated “Bad Cop” who makes sure that only boats and trailers with current stickers are stored at the club. So, please make sure that you have current stickers on both boat and trailer, or I will be calling you. If you haven’t used your boat in years and it is deteriorating due to neglect, don't expect to find it in that prime spot you laid it to rest in six or seven years ago. You will most likely find it moved to an out of the way corner of the property to make room for boats that are well maintained and sailed often. We have to be mindful of the impression we make on prospective club members and guests. We don’t want their first impression to be that of a “boat graveyard”. On a lighter note, I would like to thank the “water-side Harbormasters” Dennis Robertson and his wife Jenipher Gee for their world record slip reassignment and new slip allocations. It was completed much faster than in recent years. Yes, Dennis and Jen are the good people and the "good cops" I figured them to be. We are lucky to have them working at our club for the benefit of all of us. You can see the 2016 wet slip assignments on the Members Info web page or by clicking here. So far, about 9 boats have been identified as abandoned. These have been drained of water and moved to the worst spaces available (not including Flying Cloud). Your club officers are contacting the owners to have these abandoned boats removed from the property. I have also moved about six or seven wet slip owner’s boats to the beach in an angled parking arrangement that I would like to see repeated again this fall. Finally, please note that that trailer parking in the upper lot will be allowed beginning April 1st for trailers with 2016 stickers. All boats and trailers on the property must have current stickers including Racing and Junior sailing boats and trailers. There will be no exceptions. Kenny  
March 6, 2016

Harbormaster duties & Abandoned Boats

Ahoy Eagle Creek sailors. May your Winter be short and your love of sailing be long. Okay, with all the happy stuff spewed out we have to get real. As our club grows we must maintain enough space on shore to store the boats of avid sailors. In recent times it seems that some of us deem this club as a storage yard for hobbies of the past. This is not what our club was designed for. My basic message for this entire article is that, if you no longer want or can sail your boat it should and must be removed from the club to make room for others. Dennis Robertson (water side Harbormaster) and yours truly (Kenny Chapman) will be relacating any perceived abandoned boats to the Northeast side of the boat storage area along the edge of the woods. The first sign of an abandoned boat will be that of outdated stickers on boat and trailer. Other signs of discontinued use will be water in your boat, mold inside or outside, flat trailer tires, and obvious lack of use. You must understand this is not an attack on you personally, but an incentive for you to either use your boat or remove it from the club grounds to allow others to use the proper amount of space this club has to offer. If for some reason you find your boat relocated in the Northeast wood line area of the club it means:
  • That your stickers are not current (meaning you don't care).
  • You will be receiving a letter from the club asking you to remove your boat from the premises.
  • In the event that you do not respond to the letter (again, the not caring thing), proceedings will be taken to declare your boat as "abandoned" and have it removed from our property.
  • Make sure your stickers are current. Boat and trailer. If you need any help at the club removing your unused boat please call me.
Kenny
February 6, 2016

Don’t neglect your boat

Ahoy all members of ECSC. Please be sure to check on your boat through out the Winter especially after snow or heavy rain. Tarped boats tend to cave in when loaded with snow or water sometimes defeating the purpose of the tarp. With the large number of projects proposed for this year, Dennis and I are going to go old school and split up the jobs as "water-based" or "land-based." Dennis has agreed to become the water-side Harbormaster and I will tend to the land-based projects. The Harbormaster's duties according to the bylaws are basically all water-based, with the exception of maintaining parking for boats that are dry sailed. In the past the caretaker position always added his needed budget into the Harbormaster's budget. This will be changed to separate budgets next year I promise. The work party dates are quite simple: the last Saturday in March and the first Saturday in April. Dock maintenance tools, impact guns and saws will be needed for water-side activities. Land-side work will be some carpentry (rafters for the roof on the Kayak shed) and the usual club set up, clean up requiring rakes and firewood collecting equipment. Further projects will be listed during these days and members will be able to sign up to work these projects on their own timelines. More tidbits in March. Kenny
January 6, 2016

2016 Club work parties announced

Hello Eagle Creek Sailors. The first work party is going to be scheduled for Saturday March 26th from 9 am to 12 noon. We will be getting the upper shelter unpacked and ready for the season. Any miscellaneous yard work may be accomplished also. The other things I would like to do is move "B" dock out into the lake about 4 feet. "A" dock (the end closest to the ramp) needs to be pivoted toward the ramp. Also board replacement can commence this weekend of March. The following Sunday April 2nd will be another work party for those specializing in dock board replacement and minor building skills. I will have materials and some needed tools for the reconstruction of the shade roof over the Kayak shed. Those interested in painting any buildings may sign up for that duty to perform according to your schedule. Many more projects will be in the pipeline as they are approved by the board. Kenny